Thursday 9 October 2008

Lib Dems condemn Independent support for Labour

Posted by Chris:

Council officials have moved East Cleveland Independent Councillor David Williams’ seat in the Council Chamber over onto the Labour benches.

Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have urged Councillor Williams to reconsider his decision to join with Labour.

The Labour dominated ruling group on the council lost its majority following a crushing defeat at the hands of the Liberal Democrats at the Kirkleatham byelection last week.

But now Cllr Williams has joined the Labour-dominated ruling group in order to save them.
Cllr Williams was elected last year as a member of the East Cleveland Independent Party to represent the Westworth ward (Charltons, Boosbeck and part of Guisborough). The party ran a heavily-anti-Labour campaign and had an agreement with the Liberal Democrats that the parties would not stand against each other.

With Labour’s support falling by 170 votes in the Guisborough byelection, and crashing through the floor by 16% in Kirkleatham, it is clear that the people of the borough want them out.

Hardly surprising considering they have led the council down from a 4-star “Excellent” rating to merely “Adequate” whilst increasing council tax by the maximum they could get away with.

If Cllr Williams thinks that propping up a failed Labour administration is what the voters of Westworth put him there to do, then he has badly misjudged the situation. I urge him to reconsider.

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